Category: Nails

Holiday Lace Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Hollow Lace Stamping Plate & Silver Stamping Polish

Happy Friday! My adventures in stamping continue today with a holiday themed manicure. Born Pretty Store sent me some of its new stamping products to review, and because December is here I felt like a holiday manicure was in order. I share more information on Born Pretty’s new stamping products in THIS blog post, so make sure to read that if you’re new to this website. Let’s jump right into the nail art!

Born Pretty Store Lace Nail Stamping PlateThe Hollow Lace stamping plate comes with three strips of different lace patterns. I like that there are a variety of looks you can achieve with just this one plate, because you can stamp over the floral, over the netting, or a combination of your choice. I do want to point out that I photographed the stamping plate with the blue lining still on it, just so you would be able to see the pattern without a reflection in the metal. This plate can be purchase on Born Pretty Store’s website for just $3.59 HERE.Born Pretty Store – Hollow Lace Stamping Plate

Here is a closer look at the stamping plate. Feel free to click on the photo to see the designs in even more detail! I decided to test out the middle design that has the floral area towards the bottom.

Holiday Lace Nail Art | Adventures in Polishland Holiday Lace Nail Art | Adventures in PolishlandI began my Holiday Lace nail art with KBShimmer Chilly Pepper, and once it was dry used Born Pretty Store Stamping Polish in Silver to stamp. I am so impressed with this manicure! The silver polish is amazing for stamping, although a bit messy during cleanup because of the rich shimmer. Nonetheless, I found that it’s really simple to use the Hollow Lace stamping plate, because you can’t mess up the pattern – it looks great no matter which direction it ends up on the nail! This look is so festive, and I’m loving it. You can purchase the silver polish for just $3.99 HERE.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I am once again so impressed with the quality of Born Pretty Store’s stamping products. Not only are they fabulous and affordable, but they are so easy to use, even for a newbie stamper like me! As always, you can save an additional 10% off your order with my coupon code FZL91. Plus, you get free international shipping. I’m definitely loving these stamping products, and am ready for the holidays with this nail art look!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

 

Santa Claus Manicure featuring Gold Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Happy Wednesday! If you’re anything like me, you want to rock festive nails during the holiday season, but you don’t have the time or talent to put anything extravagant together. That’s the reason I love nail stickers! Born Pretty Store recently released a set of Christmas and Winter themed nail stickers in a gorgeous metallic gold finish. Let me show you the Santa Claus manicure I created using the stickers!

12pcs Gold Silver 3D Nail Sticker Sika Deer Christmas Tree Snowflake Patterns StickersFirst things first, here is a look at the sticker sheet. As you can see, it is very big and comes with a huge variety of sticker designs. There are Christmas trees, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, ornaments, Christmas sayings, and much more! I’m using the stock photo from Born Pretty Store’s website in this blog post so you can easily see the details of the stickers. This sticker sheet is a fabulous and affordable $4.46 HERE.

Santa Claus Manicure featuring Gold Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

I decided to go with a Santa Claus theme for my manicure. I began with a base of white nail polish, and let that dry completely. Then, I used a red polish to get a gradient effect using the Eyeshadow Sponge Method seen HERE. Finally, I added on the stickers! From left to right, there is a Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Merry Christmas script, and another Santa Claus. I really love how this manicure looks! The red and white gradient adds a fun background for the gold stickers. Plus, the stickers fit really well on my nails. I used a glossy top coat over the stickers to ensure they stay in place. Removal is also very easy – just use the tin foil method.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon Code

All in all, nail stickers are a great option if you want to create quick and easy holiday manicures that still look extremely festive!  Plus, I love that this sticker sheet from Born Pretty Store has such a wide variety of designs. The manicure possibilities are endless! As always, you get free international shipping on Born Pretty Store’s website and you can use my coupon code FZL91 for an additional 10% off any order. Definitely let me know if you pick up these stickers!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Illusion Stamping Plate & Green Stamping Polish

Happy Monday! Today I’m excited to share with you a nail art look using the new nail polish stamping products from Born Pretty Store. This online shop recently came out with its own line of stamping plates and stamping polishes. I couldn’t wait to test them out, because the prices are fabulous and affordable. I’m still not the best at nail polish stamping, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. Let me show you the Teal Aztec Nail Art look I created using Born Pretty Store products!

Born Pretty Store – Illusion Theme Stamping PlateThe plate I’m using today is the Illusion Theme. I’m so impressed with the packaging on this line! The plate comes in a sturdy cardstock packet. Plus, each plate is really big and comes with a variety of designs. Please note I’m showing you the plate with the blue wrapper still on it (otherwise you would only see a reflection!). This plate is only $3.59 on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE.Born Pretty Store – Illusion Theme Stamping Plate

Here is a close look at the designs on the Illusion Theme plate (click on the photo for even more detail). I decided to test out the Aztec print that is in the righthand column, fourth down from the top.

Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Stamping Products Teal Aztec Nail Art featuring Born Pretty Store Stamping Products

Here is my Aztec manicure! I applied a white nail polish as a base, and once that was dry reached for the new Born Pretty Store Stamping Nail Polish in the color Green. The polish works amazingly well, and I am really impressed with how easy it made stamping. I definitely need to practice lining the stamp up on my nail better, but the products themselves are awesome. This green polish even cleaned up easily with a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover. You can purchase this polish for just $3.99 online HERE.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon Code

All in all, I’m really impressed with the Illusion Theme Stamping Plate and Green Stamping Polish from Born Pretty store! As always, you can get free international shipping with any order on Born Pretty Store’s website. You can also use my coupon code FZL91 for 10% off every order. I highly recommend checking out these items if you’re new to stamping, or simply looking for some more stamping goodies. I can’t wait to experiment with them some more!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

KBShimmer Winter 2015 Collection | Swatches & Review

Happy Friday! Today I am excited to be bringing you a review of seven KBShimmer nail polishes. The brand recently released its Winter 2015 Collection, which includes a variety of polishes as always. I really love how KBShimmer features different finishes, formulas, and colors each season. You never know what to expect, except the amazing quality. Let’s jump right into these winter shades!

KBShimmer Winter 2015 Collection

KBShimmer – Fleece Navidad KBShimmer – Fleece NavidadFirst up is Fleece Navidad, a silvery grey holographic polish with hints of blue microglitter. Fleece Navidad has a great formula, but it is a bit on the sheer side so I applied three coats for opacity. This is a great holographic polish, especially if you’re looking to try out holos for the first time. It is wearable with nearly any outfit because of its neutral base, too!

KBShimmer – Coal in One KBShimmer – Coal in OneNext up is Coal in One, a charcoal grey holographic polish. Coal in One has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m so impressed with how strong the holographic effect is in this polish! It’s quite edgy, and will work well throughout the fall and winter months for sure.

KBShimmer – Toying Around KBShimmer – Toying AroundToying Around is this year’s charity polish, with $4 from the purchase of each bottle going to Toys for Tots. Toying Around is a glitter top coat packed with rainbow glitter in a variety of shapes, such as hexagons, triangles, circles, and more. Plus, there is microglitter sparkling up the polish as well! I applied one coat over KBShimmer Breaking Blues, and I am amazed at how easily the glitters apply to the nail. This is a top notch glitter, and it’s for a great cause!

KBShimmer – Brrr-tiful Dreamer KBShimmer – Brrr-tiful Dreamer

Next up is Brr-tiful Dreamer, a purple-grey jelly polish packed with aqua, purple, silver, and fuchsia glitters. Brr-tiful Dreamer has a good formula, but I applied three coats to achieve full opacity. This polish is really stunniny! I think in the future I will wear it as an accent nail, and not a complete manicure.

KBShimmer – How Corn-y KBShimmer – How Corn-y

How Corn-y is up next, and it is a yellow-orange jelly base filled with fall colored glitters in a variety of shapes and sizes. How Corn-y has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I am really impressed with this one! It is somehow extremely wearable despite being so funky. Plus, I like that it has a smooth finish despite being packed with glitter.

KBShimmer – Chilly Pepper KBShimmer – Chilly PepperMy favorite polish in the line is Chilly Pepper, a red creme with a rich pigmentation. Chilly Pepper has an absolutely perfect formula, and is opaque in two coats. You all know that I typically stay away from red polishes, but this one looks amazing with my skin tone! I’ll be wearing it for Christmas for sure!

KBShimmer – sELFie KBShimmer – sELFieLast but not least is sELFie, a glitter top coat filled with green glitter and a mix of other colors. I layered one coat over Chilly Pepper, and I feel like Christmas exploded on my nails! This is truly a glitter bomb polish – a ton of glitters easily applied without any extra effort by me during application. I’m also giggling over the name sELFie.

All in all, KBShimmer has once again delivered amazing nail polishes in its Winter 2015 Collection! The polishes range from $7.50-8.75 on KBShimmer’s website HERE or on Amazon HERE. These polishes make an amazing holiday gift, or snag a few up for yourself to rock all season long. I highly recommend them!

Which KBShimmer shades are you snagging? Let me know in the comments!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post includes an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Max Dona Nail Polish in C22 | Born Pretty Store Macaron Collection

Happy Monday! Today I have a review of a new nail polish from the online store Born Pretty Store. The shop has an eight piece collection called the Macaron Collection because of the shade range available. I got one of the polishes to review for all of you in a gorgeous purple color. The polish is from the brand Max Dona, which is new to me. One cool thing about Born Pretty Store is you get to try different brands from around the world! Let me show you this beautiful polish, and stay tuned for a coupon code at the end of the post!

Max Dona – C22 Max Dona – C22The Max Dona polish I received is shade C22, a lilac creme polish with silver shimmer. The formula is good, but it is on the thick side so I recommend thin coats. I accidentally applied a thick coat on my middle finger, and you can see how it turns goopy with too much polish on the nail. However, with two thin coats I achieved a beautiful look! I really like the combination of this purple with the silver shimmer. It’s perfect for the winter months, but can carry into the springtime seamlessly.

Born Pretty Store | Coupon CodeAll in all, I’m really liking this purple polish from Born Pretty Store! I think it’s definitely worth a pick-up if you think the color is as pretty as I do. It is a fabulous and affordable $4.84 on the Born Pretty Store website HERE. Of course, when you shop on Born Pretty Store’s website, you will always get free international shipping, and you can use my coupon code FZL91 for 10% off your order. Stay tuned for more reviews of Born Pretty Store products in the coming weeks!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Firefly

Happy Friday! For the past couple weeks, I’ve been sharing with you some polishes that I’ve swatched during a nail polish destash project. So far, I’ve kept everything I’ve shown on the blog, but today I have a polish that I’ve decided to let go. Sometimes a polish looks beautiful both in the bottle and on the nails, but the formula isn’t that great. That is certainly the case with Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Firefly. Let me show this polish to you, and share my thoughts!

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine – Firefly Sally Hansen Lustre Shine – FireflyFirefly is a metallic duochrome polish that is a bronze shade that turns green in the right light. I really love this shade, but unfortunately the formula is a bit difficult. The metallic formula tends to clump up on the nail, and it is just a bit messy overall. I decided that even though I like the color, it was time to get rid of Firefly. I haven’t worn this polish since I first got it about three years ago, so I probably won’t miss it too much!

All in all, it feels good to let go of polishes that I’m not loving and not using. I’m still keeping Moonstone from the Sally Hansen Lustre Shine line, as it is beautiful and works amazingly well for me. I’m glad I won’t be saying goodbye to all of my Lustre Shine polishes, but Firefly’s got to go.

Do you own any Sally Hansen Lustre Shine polishes? Let me know in the comments!

This product was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Manicure Monday | China Glaze in Surreal Appeal

Happy Manicure Monday! Today I have another polish to share with you that I swatched during my great destash project. It’s no secret that I love pink nail polish. In fact, it’s the color of polish that I have the biggest variety of in my collection. I decided it was time to pare down my pink polishes, so I carefully picked out a few that I knew I had dupes of, or whose formulas just weren’t that great. I put China Glaze in Surreal Appeal aside, and decided to swatch it. I’m so glad I did! Let me show you this beautiful polish!

China Glaze  – Surreal Appeal China Glaze  – Surreal AppealSurreal Appeal is a neon pink polish that leans towards coral. The formula is excellent, applies smoothly, and is opaque in two coats. Surreal Appeal looks amazing with my skin tone, and I can’t believe I haven’t worn this more! I think it’s been about two years since I reached for this polish, but that’s due to the sheer volume of pinks I own. It got lost amongst all the other pretty bottles!

All in all, I am loving China Glaze in Surreal Appeal. Decluttering my nail polish collection is a slow process, and difficult for someone who is a collector and blogger. That being said, it’s refreshing to get rid of polishes that I’m not in love with, because now I can focus on the truly stunning ones like Surreal Appeal. You can purchase Surreal Appeal on Amazon HERE for around $6.00. I highly recommend you pick this one up for your stash!

This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

The Perfect Fall Nail Color | Milani Cosmetics in Canyon Country

Happy Friday! One of the polishes that I’ve rediscovered in my nail polish destash project is Canyon Country from Milani Cosmetics. I typically reach for dark polishes in the fall, but I’m so glad I took the opportunity to swatch Canyon Country! I think I’ve found the perfect fall nail color, and I’m excited to share it with you. It’s been a couple years since it first appeared on the blog (see that post HERE), so it’s definitely time for another post!

Milani Cosmetics – Canyon Country Milani Cosmetics – Canyon CountryCanyon Country is a burnt orange nail polish with a creme finish. It has a perfect formula that is opaque in two coats. I am obsessing over the smooth finish! I’m not wearing a top coat in these photos, and my manicure looks awesome. Plus, Canyon Country is a color that I think will look great on anyone no matter the skin color. It’s warm and cozy, and will go perfectly with your fall sweaters and boots. Plus, Canyon Country will work really well in nail art. It’s an all-around great polish!

All in all, I’m so glad I took the time to swatch Canyon Country before I destashed it. Some polishes just don’t look as exciting in the bottle as they do on the nails, and this is definitely one of them. While this particular Milani polish is retired, it can still be found on Amazon HERE for a reasonable price. I highly recommend picking it up for your collection!

What is your perfect fall nail color? Let me know in the comments!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Manicure Monday | Milani Color Statement in Mint Crush

Happy Manicure Monday! Today I’m sharing another nail polish that I recently swatched as a part of my great destash project (learn more about that HERE). For some reason when I picked up Mint Crush from the Milani Color Statement line, I wasn’t thrilled with the color in the bottle. It looked like a polish I had a dupe of, and I set it aside in the ‘maybe’ pile. I’m so glad I decided to swatch it before giving it away! Let me show you this beautiful polish!

Milani Color Statement – Mint Crush Milani Color Statement – Mint CrushMint Crush is a pastel blue polish with a creme finish. It has a perfect formula that is opaque in one to two coats! You can definitely get away with one coat, but I did two in the photos above just out of habit. I am beyond impressed with the formula and the stunning color. This is definitely a case where the polish is more exciting on the nails than in the bottle. I’m crushing on Mint Crush! While I usually wear pastel polishes more in the spring, this blue shade is also perfect for winter. I’ll have to remember that in January!

All in all, I highly recommend Mint Crush from Milani. You can pick up this polish at your local drugstore, or online HERE for just $3.99. I’ve had such great luck with Milani nail polishes, and now I’m inspired to wear them more often. I’m glad I rediscovered this in my destash process!

What is your favorite Milani nail polish? Let me know in the comments!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. This post contains an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Color Club Halo Hues in Cloud Nine

Happy Wednesday! I’ve recently begun to declutter my nail polish collection once again. It is definitely a huge project, and a difficult one at that. While I am a collector and blogger, I also don’t want to own too many nail polishes simply for emotional reasons. I’ve decided to go through one box of polish at a time and destash on a smaller scale. Part of my process includes swatching polishes that I’m unsure whether or not I should keep. I decided to share these polishes with all of you as I continue on this process! Today I’m featuring a polish I’ve never even tried before, and that is Cloud Nine from the Color Club Halo Hues collection.

Color Club – Cloud Nine Color Club – Cloud NineColor Club released its first Halo Hues Collection back in 2013, and I picked up Cloud Nine because I found it really beautiful. I was so excited when I picked it up, but for some reason never used it. Well, I am embarrassed I waited so long! Cloud Nine is a stunning pale pink polish with a holographic finish. It has an excellent formula that is opaque in two coats. The holographic effect is really strong, and definitely one of the best I’ve experienced. I don’t wear holographic polishes often, but I will be sure to reach for this one again soon!

All in all, if you can get your hands on a bottle of Color Club Cloud Nine, I highly recommend you do so! This polish is a couple years old now, so it is a bit more hard to find. Nonetheless, the lesson today is to try every nail polish you buy! I’m so glad I finally tested this one!

Do you own any Color Club Halo Hues? Let me know in the comments!